Patriots Owner’s Son Challenges Michelle Wu for Mayor of Boston

Josh Kraft, a son of the owner of the New England Patriots, Robert K. Kraft, and the head of the team’s philanthropic foundation, announced on Tuesday that he is running against Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, a progressive Democrat, who is up for re-election this year.

At an event kicking off his campaign, Mr. Kraft, 57, a political newcomer running as a Democrat, pledged to address the city’s housing affordability crisis and improve its public schools. The biggest cheers from supporters came when he promised to end the proliferation of bike lanes in Boston — one of Ms. Wu’s signature initiatives, and a cause of some annoyance in congested neighborhoods of the city, which Mr. Kraft cited as evidence of her failure to listen to residents.

“On issue after issue, the mayor has become less and less receptive, and more and more disconnected from the communities, their feedback, and their needs,” he said.

Addressing reporters at another event on Tuesday, Ms. Wu defended her administration against Mr. Kraft’s claims that the city was headed in the wrong direction.

“It’s always easier to watch from the sidelines, to say no to things and throw stones at proposed changes,” she said. “We’re in a time when there’s a lot of negativity in politics.”

Mr. Kraft is expected to face an uphill battle to unseat Ms. Wu, 40, who in 2021 became the first woman and person of color to be elected mayor.